Masonry Magazine October 1986 Page. 34
40
Kirchner Celebrates 40th Anniversary
Dale Kirchner (left), president of Kirchner Industries, Inc., Bridgeton, Mo., and Ron Ohmes (center), president of F. F. Kirchner, Inc., presented county supervisor Gene McNary the first box of donuts they used to kick off their companies' 40th anniversary celebration. The donut boxes were designed to resemble concrete block to commemorate the firm's original product. Kirchner and Ohmes sent boxes of donuts to hundreds of architects, engineers and mason contractors throughout the St. Louis area. Founded in 1946, the Kirchner company turned out 300 concrete block per day in its first year of business. Today it produces more than 30,000 block per day.
Dimensional Stone Usage Continues to Climb
Publication of 1985 import statistics by the U.S. Department of Commerce shows the marketplace for "finished" marble to be 88% greater than 1984. The figures also reveal a 124% growth for granite, an 11% growth for "unfinished" marble, and a 15% increase for travertine in the same period.
Studies conducted by the Marble Institute of America among its domestic producer-members in the US and Canada show parallel development. In the five-year period, 1980 through 1985, demand for finished marble has increased 625%, according to Commerce Department figures. Usage of travertine has grown by 600%. Granite shows a whopping 1,735% growth.
The reasons for the dimensional stone industry's remarkable upsurge may be traced to improvements in machinery which have enabled stone to be quarried and cut faster and more accurately than ever before, according to the Marble Institute. Backed by a now-abundant supply of competitively-priced natural material, architects and designers as well as homeowners are using stone for exterior cladding, on interior walls and floors, and as furniture.
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Quality Glass Products since 1900
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NUBIO clear or goldtone
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FORTRESS - Security
The glass faces of this Glass Block are substantially thicker than normal Glass Blocks. Firearms tests in Europe showed this block to be bullet resistant. An excellent choice to deter vandalism or break-ins. The FORTRESS block has a hollow low pressure center, which gives it good insulation qualities.
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P.O. Box 517, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 312-640-6910
32 MASONRY-SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER, 1986